The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1887-07-23

Will re-enter business In the city; he il
tired of idleness. he says.
IL - In the old town of Westfield
that they chance 10 find that which
bhey seek. A house upon a hillside.
looking one way down upon the dis.
tant railroad and one way down upon
the green sea water.
Ii Is pretty house when all Is fixed
and fitted. But il is lonesa,ne--very
Lonesome for the woman Who is left 80
much alone, while he Is absent in the
city. Left all alone with only SER
want and the summer wind to
speak TO her. And so. il she grows
pale and gloomy. and ceases to smile
when he comes home, what wonderp
And he, too, seems to have changed.
There IL shadow growing up be-
tween them. Faint aud vague. yet
ever present. Ever present in the
long hours Of the summer day. Ever
present in the long hours Of summer
night And deepening and spreading
like wall to separate these two.
And gloomy looks and tears bring
no relief They only serve to chill his
waning love.
Deeper and deeper grows the shad-
ow. colder and colder grows his love.
until--one day comes the end. Wearied
of her gloom and tears he speaks his
sharp reproaches, and they part in
bitter anger. He goes off TO the city
and she sits nursing her dull heart
ache all day long.
Evening comes, but he does not re-
turn. She watches and listens, but he
does not come. She will not break
her fast or quench her thirst; but he
does not come. She hears the trains
come laundering in and la kens for
his footstep, but she hears no sound.
Qu:eter and quieter IL grows. She
waits for the midnight train. She
watches at the gate. watches the road
as far as she can see in the cloudy at
mospherc.
over, Francis. Francisw aud pleads
with him TO come TO her once more.
I'll will never speak impatiently again.
never weary you, II you will only
come, she says. Only come, Francis.
my love. my ALL
There is a great agony In her cry;
but he does not come. The last train
is in. There are no more trains till
morning. Why does not the morning
Gomez Oh, whyP She filings herself
upon the earth and grovels in her
terror and suspense Francis, my
love, my love! Only come back TO
mel"
And dawn breaks and the sun is
risen. and happy day smiles upon the
earth. But he has not returned.
The servant goes about the house
singing careless song Does the SER
want know the mistress agonyP
Toward noon the servant goes down
10 the village postofiice and presently
returns with letter.
Give il 10 me" the mistress says.
her face whittier than the white sails on
the distant water.
She is cold aud dead at heart. She
knows his handwriting. She must
read and-liye or die.
The words must burn through her
eyes and fire her brain. Yet she does
not cry out or fall swooning. She
only reads and reads again his cold
farewell.
Better for us to part at once.
We have made mistake. Before
reading this YOU will have heard Of
your husbands suicide. You drove
him TO II. He was good husband to
you and you deceived him. We might
live on together even now, when love
is dead, but you could hardly expect
me TO respect you, knowing your crime
towards him. For my part am
heartily sorry.
The servant had gone away, and the
woman who read this fell down on her
face upon the floor.
Cod" she cried huskily; '.niy crimei
He told me what TO do. He urged me
- he implored IL was for his sake
that sinned. and now he turns To
taunt melp
She had cried her last strength of
passion out with these few husky
words. Now she Law silent for a
time. Ii was the end. She saw that
his love was dead and he could not re-
spect her. She would not have him
come back TO her now, not for all the
wealth of the universe. She would
not have him back. But how 20 live
without himp How 10 live. TO think,
to breathe? How 10 keep from shrek
ing To heaven 10 let her dicp
Francis loved her no longer. The
end had come. In was Nemesis She
had wronged her husband; that hus-
bands death avenged the wrong. All
was over, and welcome death al any
hour.
The afternoon had dragged 10 It's
close; the sun had set, and soft breeze
stirred the glorious trees in the road.
Twilight deepened.
A slender form went out Of the house.